”Boys, Well Done!”

Mark Nutter, chairman of 24/7 UK Soccer, shared encouraging words with his players after their 4-0 defeat to Gimletroll, IK-Fotball 1 from Norway in group Boys14.

“Normally, you play against a regular club team, but today these Norwegian players faced a company,” Mark Nutter explains. “For example, we have youth teams from U9 to U12, and at the U12 level they all merge into AFC, which is our fifth club. By U16, we have six boys’ teams. Altogether, across these age groups, we run nine teams. This setup means that while some players compete at the highest level, others do not. So, we’re fielding a mixed group of players at this year’s Dana Cup,” adds Mark Nutter, who is at the Dana Cup for the first time.

“If we had known a bit more about the tournament before arriving, I probably would have registered these two groups for the 7-a-side format instead of the 11-a-side, because I like the 7-a-side option,” Mark Nutter says.

“The size of this place, the number of teams and players, the fact that half of them don’t speak the same language – yet everyone is enjoying themselves, talking, and meeting new people – it’s absolutely brilliant. I love it,” says coach Ewan Morrison, who has already met a lot of coaches from different countries.

“I spoke to an Irish guy this morning who coaches in Hong Kong – just learning about how they coach there and their footballing style. It’s brilliant,” adds coach Ewan Morrison, who has been a passionate supporter of Aberdeen FC in Scotland for many years.

“It’s amazing to witness the different skill levels and the deep passion for football. In the U.S., sports are more like a casual activity – not necessarily something you’re fully committed to. My dad is from Mexico, and I grew up playing in the streets, playing everywhere. Seeing the passion in these kids here – how they throw themselves into a sliding tackle just because they love it, without any bad intentions – they’re just naturally aggressive. That energy has really rubbed off on our boys. They’re now saying things like, ‘I want to get better, I want to push myself, I want to come back to Europe and experience more.’ It’s been an incredible experience,” coach Marco Plascencia says.